The Groomer's Blog

Properly maintained equipment will always perform better and last longer. But in general, what are the things that need to be done for your dryers?

As the holiday rush nears, the need for speed grows. Time is always the most common concern for professionals in this industry. What areas in your day are robbing you of precious minutes? Here are the top 10 areas where pet pros can improve!

When pets feel threatened or discomfort, their natural tendency may be to bite. Some animals have higher bite inhibition than others, but all of them are capable of biting in certain circumstances. Pet groomers are in harm’s way because we handle dogs and cats in an up-close and personal manner and sometimes inadvertently cause them pain merely by doing something as innocent as flexing a joint that we have no way of knowing is sore.

 If a bite happens, knowing the proper way to treat the wound and having first aid essentials on hand is crucial. Here are step-by-step instructions for what to do if you are bitten by a pet.

To groom cats, or not to groom cats – that is the question.

Are you considering adding cat grooming to your services offered? That’s great as most people are willing to pay what it’s worth so it can be an excellent source of income. Cats tend to be fairly quick to groom, increasing their financial value to the salon...

I am a self-confessed tool junkie. If I see a grooming tool that I don’t own and think would be useful, I’ll buy it. Sometimes the purchase is a win, other times a dud. Then there is the grey zone, a great tool for a few specific tasks but not something I will use on most pets. It turns out I have quite a few of those grey zone tools...

Picture this scenario… you are clipping a pet Spaniel with a thick coat, and you realize that you have unwittingly created what looks for all the world like a corduroy jacket on that pup. Usually, it’s not the fault of the blade, the clipper, or even your clipping technique. The problem is that the dog has a thick undercoat.

So, what’s a groomer to do? One choice is to clip the dog shorter, but that is not the best plan. Instead, spend a little time removing that undercoat. This will enable you to achieve a lovely, smooth clip while improving the dog’s skin health at the same time.

I’ve been a groomer for decades and one of my pleasures has always been watching new groomers join the ranks and learn to perfect their skills. Newer groomers can sometimes be seen on social media wishing their abilities were better – and we should all be working to improve – but there are factors other than skill that can affect the quality of your grooms

I once worked as a dishwasher and still remember being told to make my job easier; let the tough pots and pans soak in soapy water. I didn’t understand why at the time.

Imagine you have just finished grooming a small, fluffy dog. You take it to greet its waiting owner, and they "ooh" and "ah" appreciatively to see their freshly trimmed pet. Do you know what they are looking at first when their dancing dog greets them? It's their precious little face. There are ways to step up your game to make those canine faces exclaim worthy. Of course, it all starts in the tub. We all know that prep work is the basis of an excellent groom. However, perfecting prep work on faces can take some extra steps.

Groomers tend to be very bonded to their pets which means it can be especially hard on us when a pet dies. Everyone handles grief differently but it’s important not to let your's affect your work and professionalism. Here are a few tips on handling that situation.